A Passion for Service

Stephen has always been passionate about serving others by solving problems. This passion comes from values he learned from his family: fairness, opportunity and community.

A Proven Problem Solver

As an aide in the Michigan Legislature, Stephen became the people’s advocate in state bureaucracy. He helped laid-off workers who fell through the cracks of the unemployment office, seniors who were behind on their utility bill and veterans who needed to be connected to local services.

At the Institute for Energy Innovation, Stephen worked to accelerate the renewable energy and energy efficiency industries in Michigan by fostering new partnerships between business and local communities. As part of a team, he helped set up the Grand Rapids 2030 District, a private-led partnership working to make 10 million square feet of downtown buildings more energy efficient. In 2016, he led an initiative in the Great Lakes Bay Region that spurred $500 thousand in new economic activity around rooftop solar.

Today, Stephen works at Dwelling Place of Grand Rapids. Everyday, he helps make development work on the balance sheet and for the community, providing new homes for working families and new storefronts for small businesses to revitalize neighborhoods.

A Product of West Michigan

Stephen is a graduate of Grand Rapids Catholic Central High School and Michigan State University. He’s an Eagle Scout from Troop 271 in Grand Rapids. Stephen currently serves on the board of the Creston Neighborhood Association and the Grand Rapids Housing Appeals Board.

He and his wife Adelyn own a home on the northeast side of Grand Rapids, near the Cheshire Business District. He enjoys home repair projects, reading, following college sports and spending time with family.